JPH0240628Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a cassette for accommodating an optical disc played by an optical disc player such as a compact and a disc player. This invention relates to an optical disc cassette for playback.

[Prior art]

Optical discs played by compact disc players are standardized to have a disc shape with a diameter of 120 mm and a thickness of 1.2 mm, with a central hole in the center having an inner diameter of 15.0 ^+0.1 _-1 mm. There is. This optical disc has digitized, for example, audio signals optically recorded on its surface, and if this recording surface becomes scratched or dirty, it will affect optical reading, so handling is not recommended. Sufficient caution is required. Therefore, these optical discs are sold and stored in a cassette case, and when playing, the cassette case is opened, the optical disc is taken out, and then the disc is placed in a compact disc player.

However, in order to play the above-mentioned optical disc, it is necessary to take it out of the cassette case and set it in a compact disc player, making the operation extremely complicated. Especially in recent years, compact disc players have been installed in cars, and it is extremely difficult to remove and set an optical disc from the cassette case with one hand while driving a car.
This is also a problem from the standpoint of safety measures for driving a car.

In order to solve this problem, the applicant of the present application has previously proposed an optical disc cassette that can be used as a compact disc player set while the optical disc is housed in the cassette case. This optical disk cassette has a shaft in the center of the main body of the cassette case with a lid, and a disk-shaped clamp disk with a diameter slightly larger than the center hole of the optical disk is coaxially attached to this shaft so that it can rotate freely. It is being A disk clamper protrudes from the back surface of the clamp disk coaxially with respect to the center of rotation, thereby fixing the optical disk by engaging with the inner wall portion of the central hole of the optical disk. On the other hand, the portion of the lid that faces the disc clamper is provided with a central hole through which a centering core serving as a rotating connection body provided at the tip of the disc rotating shaft in a compact disc player passes. . Further, a reading slit is provided in the range of movement of the objective lens of the optical head when the lid is set on the player.

The optical disk cassette constructed in this way can be installed with the optical disk cassette case by storing the optical disk in the cassette case, that is, with the optical disk fixed to the clamp disk by the disk clamper, with the lid closed. Insert into. Then, a centering core serving as a rotational coupling body provided at the tip of the disk rotating shaft engages with the disk clamper to rotate the optical disk integrated with the clamp disk and to regulate its center of rotation. The optical head also records data by shining a light beam onto the surface of the optical disk rotating inside the case through a slit in the lid of the cassette case, and detecting the reflected light. Read information.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the optical disk cassette constructed as described above, since the lid of the cassette case is provided with a central hole for passing the rotary connector and a slit for reading, these openings must be closed when the optical disk cassette is stored. This part remains open all the time, allowing dirt to get in. When used in a vehicle, this opening becomes a particular problem. For this reason, in the optical disk cassette with the above structure, it is necessary to provide a shutter that closes the opening when not in use, but it is extremely difficult and costly to provide a shutter in a cassette case with a thin structure. At the same time, the central hole was also closed, making it impossible to increase the sealing rate.

[Means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the optical disk cassette according to the present invention is
A clamp disk is rotatably supported in the center of the interior of the cassette case body, and by engaging the disk clamper provided on the clamp disk with the central hole of the optical disk, the optical disk can be turned into a clamp disk. The cassette case is laminated and integrated, and is housed in the cassette case body, and the lid has a pull-out structure, so that the structure is normally sealed.

[Effect]

In an optical disk cassette constructed in this way, the lid is pulled out after being set in the player to perform playback, so the opening when not in use is reduced, and it can be replaced with a conventional shutter. Its structure is greatly simplified compared to .

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the optical disk cassette according to the present invention, and FIG.
It is an A′ cross-sectional view. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a box-shaped cassette case body which is open only at the bottom, and a shaft 2 protrudes from the center inside thereof. and,
A clamp disk 4, which has a disk shape with a larger diameter than the central hole of the optical disk 3, is relatively loosely supported on this shaft 2 and is rotatable. A coaxially projecting disc clamper 5 is provided. Here, in the disk clamper 5, the claw-like bodies 6 protrude side by side in a ring shape having an outer diameter that matches the diameter of the central hole of the optical disk 3, and a part thereof is bent inward to form a whole. It has elasticity. Reference numeral 7 denotes a lid that closes the lower opening of the cassette case body 1, and as shown in FIG. It is inserted from the right side to the left side. Thin wires 8 are connected to both sides of the insertion side of the lid 7, and one end is connected to the center pole 10 through a guide pulley 9 provided at the inner corner of the cassette case body 1. By being connected to a spring 11 fixed to the lid, a movement behavior in the direction of closing the lid is given. Further, in the center of the insertion side tip of the lid 7, there is a semicircular notch having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the clamp disk 4, forming a notch 12. Further, holes 13 are provided on both sides of the tip of the lid 7 on the drawer side, into which the claws of the lid drawer mechanism are engaged when the lid 7 is set in a player, which will be described later. Also, the cassette case body 1 facing the hole 13 when the lid 7 is completely closed.
A cutout 14 is provided at the portion 14 to expose the hole 13.

The optical disc cassette constructed in this way can be assembled into a state in which the optical disc 3 is stacked on the clamp disc 4 by pulling out and opening the lid 7 and then inserting the disc clamper 5 into the central hole of the optical disc 3. Unify it with. That is, since the claw-like bodies 6 constituting the disc clamper 5 have elasticity, they are pressed against the inner wall of the central hole in the optical disc 3 and locked. Once the optical disc 3 has been set, the lid 7 is inserted again to complete storage of the optical disc.

Next, for playback, the cassette case body 1 is inserted into the cassette insertion hole 16 of the optical disc player 15 with the notch 14 side of the cassette case body 1 first, as shown in FIG. Then, after the entire optical disc cassette is taken into the optical disc player 15, it is locked at a predetermined position by a stopper (not shown). In this locked state, the clipper 19, which forms part of the lid pulling mechanism, moves while being guided between the guide rails 17 and 18 provided on both sides, so that A lid 7 exposed from the notch 14 is interposed. in this case,
The clipper 19 includes a clipper base 20 whose side in the insertion direction of the optical disk cassette is bent slightly downward to facilitate the reception of the lid 7, and a spring body which projects from the rear of the upper part of the clipper base 20 in an inverted L shape. The clipper arm 21 is made by
A downward claw 22 is provided at the tip of the lid 7 so as to correspond to the hole 13 in the lid 7. When the clipper arm 19 is in the home position (the state shown in FIG. 5), the tip of the upper guide rail 17 is lifted, so the clipper arm 19 is in a free state. Natsute Claw 2
2 is lifted upwards.

Next, when the clipper 19 is slightly moved to the right by the wire 23 of the lid pull-out mechanism, the clipper arm 21 made of a spring body is moved by the guide rail 17 located on the upper side.
is pushed down, the lid 7 is pushed down between the clipper base 20 and the clipper arm 2, as shown in FIG.
1, and the claw 22 engages with a hole 13 provided in the lid 7.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, when the motor 24 constituting the lid drawing mechanism is driven, the wire 23 is wound up by the reel 25 which is worm-coupled to the motor shaft. is guided between guide rails 17 and 18 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and moves to the right. In this case, since the claw 22 of the clipper 19 is engaged with the hole 13 provided in the lid 7, the lid 7 will be pulled out from the cassette case body 1 as the clipper 19 moves in the right direction. . However, since the lid 7 has a tendency to move in the closing direction by the spring 11, the motor 24
Needless to say, it is necessary to wind up the wire 23 against the tension of the spring 11. When the lid 7 is pulled out approximately halfway, the limit sensor 26 is activated to stop the motor 24 from operating. Therefore,
In this state, the rear end of the lid 7 is attached to the optical disk 3.
Since a semicircular notch 12 is provided at the center of the rear end of the lid 7, the lid 7 faces half of the optical disk 3 and the clamp disk 4. This portion is exposed downward from the cassette case body 1.
In this manner, when the loading of the optical disk cassette is completed, the floating sub-chassis (not shown) rises, and the reading head 2 placed on this sub-chassis is lifted.
7 and centering core 2 as a rotating connection
8 will rise. Here, the reading head 27 is guided by a guide rail 29 and moves in the radial direction of the optical disk 3, and the centering core 28 is mounted on the rotating shaft of the disk motor 30. When the centering core 28 rises, the tip of the centering core 28 is press-fitted into the center of the disk clamper 5 and is rotationally coupled thereto, as shown in FIG. Further, when the centering core 28 is press-fitted into the disk clamper 5, the claw-like bodies 6 are expanded outward, so that the optical disk 3 and the disk clamper 5 are more securely connected. Furthermore,
As the centering core 28 rises, the ring-shaped ring part 31 protruding from its outer circumference pushes up the area around the central hole of the optical disk 3, which causes the optical disk 3 to overlap the clamp disk 4. is ensured, and the occurrence of surface runout is prevented.

Next, when the disk motor 30 is energized and rotated, the centering core 28 attached to the rotating shaft of the disk motor 30 is rotationally connected to the disk clamper 5, so that the clamp disk 4 and the optical disk 3 The optical disc cassette body 1 rotates as a unit around the shaft 2 inside the optical disk cassette body 1.

On the other hand, since the reading head 27 also rises, the light beam emitted through the objective lens 32 is irradiated onto the lower surface of the optical disk 3 through the open portion of the lid 7. Then, the reflected light of this light beam on the surface of the optical disk 3 is detected by the reading head 27 and converted into an electrical signal, thereby performing reading.

Next, when an instruction is given to take out the optical disk cassette upon completion of the intended playback operation, the sub chassis is first lowered and the disk clamper 5 and the centering core 28 are uncoupled. When the lowering of the sub-shear is completed, the wire 23 is rewound from the reel 25 by rotating the motor 24 in the reverse direction. When the wire 23 is returned, the lid 7 is moved by the spring 11.
Since the lid 7 is biased by the cassette case body 1, the lid 7 is returned and the opening of the cassette case body 1 is closed. When the lid 7 is completely closed, the limit sensor 33 (FIG. 7) generates an output, thereby stopping the rotation of the motor 24. Here, the position where the limit sensor 33 operates is when the gripper 19 is located at the home position, that is, the position shown in FIG.
In this position, the clipper arm 21 is not restricted by the guide rail 17, so it is flipped upward and the engagement between the claw 22 and the hole 13 provided in the closure 7 is released. Next, the optical disk cassette is pushed out by a motor (not shown), thereby completing the ejection operation. Since the lid 7 of the optical disc cassette pushed out from the optical disc player is completely closed, dust is prevented from entering the optical disc cassette.

In addition, since a semicircular notch 12 is provided at the center of the end of the lid 7 in order to reduce the amount that it can be pulled out, even when the lid 7 is closed, only this notch 12 is slightly open. I become confused. On the other hand, if it is possible to increase the amount by which the lid 7 is pulled out, the lid 7 can be removed by removing the notch 12.
It is possible to create a completely sealed state by eliminating the opening when the door is closed.

Further, the lid 7 does not necessarily have to be provided with a moving habit using a spring or the like, and it goes without saying that the closing operation of the lid 7 may be performed using a motor or the like.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, in the optical disk cassette according to the present invention, a clamp disk is rotatably mounted on a shaft provided at the center inside the cassette case body, which is a shallow box with an opening on one side, and the optical disk cassette is rotated from this clamp disk. The optical disk is fixed in a stacked state on the clamp disk by engaging a coaxially protruding disk clamper with the central hole of the optical disk. and,
Since the cassette case is closed by inserting the lid from the side into the opening of the cassette case body, the degree of sealing during storage can be improved despite the simple structure. Furthermore, when loading the optical disc cassette into the player, the surface of the optical disc necessary for rotational connection and reading can be easily exposed by simply pulling out the lid, which simplifies the loading mechanism of the optical disc cassette. It has various excellent effects such as.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the optical disk cassette according to the present invention, and FIG.
A' sectional view; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the optical disk cassette shown in FIG. 1 with the lid pulled out;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part showing the state in which the optical disc cassette is set in the player, FIGS. The figure is a schematic view of the lid pull-out mechanism, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the rotational connection structure during playback of the optical disk cassette. 1...Cassette case body, 2...Shaft, 3...
Optical disk, 4... Clamp disk, 5... Disc clamper, 6... Claw-like body, 7... Lid, 8
... wire, 9 ... guide pulley, 10 ... center pole, 11 ... spring, 12 ... notch, 13 ... hole, 14 ... notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A shallow box-shaped cassette case body with only one side open, a shaft provided at the center inside the cassette case body, and a shaft with a diameter larger than the central hole of the optical disk. a clamp disk which has a disk shape and whose rotational center portion is rotatably supported on the shaft; and a central hole of an optical disk which protrudes coaxially from the open surface side of the cassette case main body of the clamp disk and is accommodated therein. A disk clamper is inserted from the side of the cassette case body to close the open part and is inserted into the disk player. 1. An optical disk cassette, comprising: a lid that is pulled out by a predetermined amount at the time of setting to expose a reading area of the housed optical disk by an optical head and a rotational connection area of a disk rotation mechanism to the disk clamper. (2) The optical disk cassette according to claim 1, wherein the lid has a tendency to move in the direction of closing the open portion of the cassette case body. (3) The lid has a hole at its drawer side end for engaging the drawer grip, and the cassette case body exposes the hole portion when the lid is fully closed to facilitate engagement with the grip means. An optical disk cassette according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the optical disc cassette has a cutout portion that makes the optical disc cassette. (4) Utility model registration claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lid has a semicircular notch in the widthwise central portion of the rear end in the pulling direction, thereby reducing the required pulling amount of the lid. The optical disk cassette according to any one of Item 3.